The film is dedicated to the Kyrgyz folk instrument komuz. An expert on making and playing komuz shares an komuz origin story. The film shows the interconnectedness between the models and melodies of komuz. Outstanding komuz makers and players as well as komuz beginners present some classical komuz melodies in the film.

Dondang Sayang is a Malay traditional music and song that is well-known in the State of Malacca and still practiced by four communities such as the Malay, Baba Nyonya, Chitty and Portuguese. The performances are accompanied by violin, rebana, gong and accordion and sing by two singers of the opposite sex, who sing in quatrains. It has received UNESCO’s recognition as a Representative List of The Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on 29th November 2018.

Sape is a traditional instrument of the Kenyah people in Sarawak, Malaysia. It is a boat-shaped instrument made of special wood and traditionally consists of 2 to 4 strings. Traditionally, sape performance was considered more than just a performance as part of a ritual, and only men were allowed to play. However, in modern times, women can also play Sape, and the number of strings has increased to six, allowing various modern music performances.

The dombra, a two-stringed plucked instrument, has played an integral part of Kazakh culture since ancient times. By performing kuy (a short solo composition) on the dombra, the nomad expressed his feelings. The only harmonic material for dombra that fully meets the traditions and rules is the tree. The tradition of hollowing out the instrument from a single piece of wood relates to mythological ideas about the sacredness and inviolability of the tree. The entire process of manufacturing dombra in ancient times took four years, and each instrument was custom made based on the player’s physique, voice, repertoire, gender, and was endowed with a special spiritual content.

The sape is a traditional instrument of the Kenyah people in Sarawak, Malaysia. This boat-shaped instrument is made of the special wood adau and typically has two to four strings. \nSape music carries greater significance than simple per\u0002formance—it has long been used to calm people and treat illnesses. Previously, women were not allowed to play the sape, but it gradually became acceptable for them to per\u0002form. As the materials and playing techniques have changed over time as well, more people are now able to enjoy sape performances. The sape has helped to keep the tradition and beliefs of Malaysia alive through to the modern era.

The film is dedicated to the Kyrgyz folk instrument komuz. An expert on making and playing komuz shares an komuz origin story. The film shows the interconnectedness between the models and melodies of komuz. Outstanding komuz makers and players as well as komuz beginners present some classical komuz melodies in the film. \nThis film is dedicated to kalpak—a traditional male felt hat. Knowledgeable people (a teacher, a journalist, an activist, and craftswomen) talk about the social functions and spiritual meanings behind kalpak. The film shows traditional and modern methods of making kalpak.

The ICH festivals in the Kyrgyz Republic are a great way to safeguard the cultural heritage. Kyrgyzstan has a rich ICH and embraces all ICH domains including the oral traditions andexpressions, performing arts, social practices, rituals and festive event, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, and traditional craftsmanship. Festivals feature various ICH domains such as arts and crafts, cuisine, folklore, felt, hunting with birds, horse games, etc. For instance, the festivals Kyrgyz Shyrdagy and the Oimo International Festival are held with the aim of safeguarding and popularizing traditional knowledge and skills of handicrafts, for safeguarding and promoting traditional games, various birds of prey festivals are held, such as Salbuurun and Kok Boru. Moreover, festivals are dedicated to safeguarding oral traditions, such as Aitysh, the art of improvisation as well as many other festivals reflecting traditional cuisine, folklore, etc.

▶ Play Video 1. The World of a Maguindanao Virtuoso: This episode was first aired on Filipino television on August 18, 1994. This episode has been modified from its original format.\n\nThe Maguindanao (Magindanaw, Maguindanaw, Magindanao, Maguindanaon, Magindanaoan, Mindanao) form one of the large ethnic groups of the country. Most of the members are concentrated in the municipalities of Dinaig, Datu Piang, Shariff Aguak, and Buluan, in the province of Maguindanao.\n\nConstant contact with the Spaniards led to naming the entire island after the Maguindanao. The people practice Islam; their culture and social structure are deeply tied to this eligion, forming a conformity without which the group would not have been able to resist the incursions of the Spanish conquistadores. One of the three Philippine sultanates is aguindanao. The Maguindanao sultanate at one period in history could claim ritual authority over southwestern Mindanao. Their socio-political system and the hierarchical structure of their society are complex and similar to that of the Sulu sultanate.\n\nThere are three royal houses: Maguindanaon in Sultan Kudarat, Buayan in Datu Piang, and Kabuntalan in Tumbao, all of which trace their lineage to Sharif Kabunsuan, one of the earliest Muslim missionaries, and Sultan Kudarat. Customary law (adat) is applied, embodied in oral traditions and in accordance with the Paluwaran code, which contains provisions for very aspect of life.\n\nThe culture is characteristically lowland with a special adaptation to marshland, and wet rice is the staple food. Arts and crafts are well developed, exhibiting sophistication in eaving. Through waste mold technology metalwork and with the double-bellows Malaysian forge, they produce a wide range of bronze artifacts including betel-nut boxes, gongs, knives, racelets, and even the Southeast Asian cannon, the lantaka. The lantaka is not used just in warfare, but also as a prestigious status symbol.\n\nTheir ornamental art employs very characteristic design motifs that show affinity with the rest of Southeast Asia while retaining a distinctive ethnic identity. Their musical nstruments include a unique crocodile-motif version of the ubiquitous two-stringed lute, the kutyapi; the kulintang, which comprises eight brass gongs of graduated sizes; and the very large and deep agong, as well as various drums and flutes. Their music is characterized by drone and permutation.

The body of the harp is made of good quality Padauk wood. It is not as same as the Myanmar Harp because it is curved in the shape of the hull of a boat. The arm of the harp is made of PJn:ma (kind of large timber tree/ larger stroemiaspecion). The floral scroll-work is curved at the top of the arm and the square shape of the peg is used to tune the strings of harp. The reed of the harp is made of cutch wood. The body of young cow’s skin is covered the body of sound body. There are nine harp strings that are put on it. The creeper strings and the cane strings were yarned together as the harp strings which were used in the past time. Nowadays, steel strings are put on as the harp strings. When making the Karean harp ,first, go to the deep forest and make offering consisting of hands of bananas, coconut etc. The harp is made to be finished in the forest. Before putting the strings on it, it has to be made to gain magical power using star-flower, jasmine, the rock dammar flower, the frangipani flower, the vachellia flower (kind of fragrant flower) and the tiger-lady (species of orchid ). After making the harp, women don’t touch and hold it to make it more magical power according to Karean’s Tradition or custom.\nThe playing method of the Karean Harp is easy and simple. It can be easily learned to play by hearing musical scale up and down when the skillful player is playing it. After tuning the harp strings, it is held tenderly to the bosom. Left hand is placed with five or six strings for opening and closing tunes. The rest of one to four strings have to be played with the right thumb and forefinger.

Khovd Province, located in western Mongolia, is a vibrant tapestry of majestic landscapes, diverse ethnic communities, and deep-rooted cultural traditions. Home to more than ten ethnic groups—including the Kazakhs, Torguud, Durvud, Zakhchin, Uriankhai, and Myangad—Khovd is a cradle of intangible cultural heritage passed down for generations.\n\nSurrounded by sacred snow-capped peaks and vast river valleys, Khovd is rich in biodiversity, with over 1,300 plant species and hundreds of rare and endangered animals, including snow leopards and Altai argali. Its historical landscape is just as abundant, featuring ancient rock carvings, deer stones, and the renowned Gurvan Tsenkher Cave with 40,000-year-old petroglyphs.\n\nThe province is a living museum of nomadic knowledge and craftsmanship. Locals uphold centuries-old traditions of herding, long-distance camel caravans, and skilled artisanal work—everything from intricate ethnic costumes and woodcraft to leather and felt production. Unique musical and dance traditions, such as bielgee (expressive dance), Tsuur flute playing, and the haunting throat singing khoomii, echo across the region, preserving the voices of the past.\n\nAnnual festivals celebrate horse racing, wrestling, and the famed Kazakh Eagle Festival, showcasing the enduring bond between eagle hunters and their majestic birds. Epic poetry, the melodies of the horsehead fiddle, and region-specific tea customs further enrich Khovd’s living cultural heritage.\n\nThis documentary journeys through the soul of Khovd Province—where every mountain, melody, and movement tells a story. It’s a place where Mongolia’s ancestral spirit is not only remembered but proudly lived every day.

Before the period of 1963, Lashi/Lachik people settled in the mountain villages. The village head kept the buffalo horn in the house as an apparatus and he blew it for the gathering of the villagers to inform or decide something about the village. The young people also blow it in the sense of enjoyment when their high yielding crops are harvested. Sometimes when the lovers are in different mountains apart, the boyfriend informs his location to his girlfriend blowing this horn. At that time, the girlfriend returns a signal by setting fire something from her location.\nThe buffalo horn has to be boiled to get the flexibility for the desired shape. The big horns require the boiling for three hours at least. As the small horns can't produce the pleasant sound, only the big ones are chosen to make this musical instrument. But the extra large horns have to be blown with a great strength. It's blown by putting a great blow through the mouth-hole. Only those who have the even lip and teeth can blow it to produce the pleasant sound. Usually, the village head blows it in the longer tone while the dating of the lovers with it is in the shorter tone.\n-1 feet 2 inches in length\n-8.5 inches in circumference

In 1950, a man, named Paw Shwun Hla Phu,from Sa-non-bon Region, was the very first person who played this flute to express his grief over the death of his beloved wife. With the passage of time, he was able to seek solace and later he played flute in his village. It was so pleasing that he was requested by the reverend priest U Down Phaung Non to give a performance in the church on February 3, 1952, and in Galoun Tahtaung Church for the second time on March 2. On April 6, 1954, his performance was titled Wunpawng Sumpy is. When the chieftain Duwar Zawsai heard his playing, he was asked to entertain. They awarded him for his great performance. Later, Wunpawng Sumpyi flute was played together with gong and two other traditional musical instruments and Wunpawng Sumpyi orchestra was formed.\nBamboo grows in the wild in hilly region, which must expose to the sunlight, is used to make this flute. A total of six holes are perforated on this bamboo stick. The second last finger hole is seal up. It is played by blowing into mouthpiece and by opening and closing of the finger holes on the flute. Western music also can be played with this flute. The flute sounds Key C. It is played in some special events such as new year festival, campfire festivity, harvesting festival, housewarming ceremony and wedding ceremony.\n-1 feet 5 inches in Length\n-1.5 inches in Circumference\n-1.5 inches in Distance from mouthpiece to the top\n-6.5 inches in Distance from mouthpiece from the first finger hole\n-2.5 inches in Length from the top to the last finger hole